Central circulating dehydrator for petroleum oils



W. MEREDITH. CENTRAL CIRCULATING DEHYDRATOR FOR PETROLEUM OILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, I92l. 1 43 245 Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 v W. MEREDITH. CENTRAL CIRCULATING DEHYDRATOR FOR PETROLEUM OILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1921.

1,43Q2Q5, PatentedSept. 26, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

UNITED STATES I 1,430,245 PATENT OFFICE.

WYNN MEREDITH, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOR TO PETROLEUM RECTIFY- ING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

CENTRAL CIRCULATING DEHYDRATOR FOR PETROLEUM OILS.

Application filed March 14, 1921. Serial ,No. 452,389.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WYNN MEREDITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a new and useful ImprovementComprising a .Central Circulatin Dehydrator for Petroleum Oils, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dehydrators for petroleum oils in which the oils are subfield, that the small water particles carried therein are caused to coalesce or agglomerate into masses of sufficient size to readily settle out of the oil under the influence gravity. It is also a well known fact that under certain conditionsthewater particles may arran e themselves between the electrodes in c ains of such size and number that the electrodes are virtually short-circuited and the voltage between the electrodes fall to 'so low a value that dehydration practically ceases. have sought to prevent this excessive chain formation by agitating the emulsion in the electric field by a rotation of the inner electrode.

My invention is designed to provide an agitation-and mixing by the natural convection currents in the body ofemulsion itself, this action in some cases being assisted by mechanical means.

The principal object ofthe invention is to provide a novel form of dehydrator having certain advantages which will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only. a

Fig. 1 is a section through one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a section on a planerepresented by the line 33 ofZFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the dehydrator with its associated washing tank.

In the form of theinvention illustrated, 11 is a shell havin a flared top 12 in which Certain previous inventors insulators 13 are supported onbrackets 14. Aspider 15 is supported on the insulators 13 and carries. a central pipe '20 on'which a top plate 21 is carried by means of a flange 22 which is secured to the plate 21 and threaded on the pipe 20. Supported by means of spaced members 25 on the rod 20 is a cylinder 26 carrying an inverted funnel 27, an intermediate plate 28, and a plate 29 which is hereinafter referred to as the lower plate to distinguish it from the upper plate 21. Oil is introduced into the top of the dehydrator through an oil inlet pipe 30 which delivers. emulsion. into a trough formed by a lip 31 extending completely around the tank which is so levelled that the upper edge of the lip 31 is level and the emulsion spills evenly thereover throughout the lips entire circumference. A fan driven through beveled gears 41 by means 'of a shaft 42 is provided in the bottom of the dehydrator, the shaft 42 being driven by a motor 43 or by any other convenient means. Oil. is withdrawn from the dehydrator throu h a pipe 45 and delivered into awash tank 46 shown in Fig. 5. A transformer is provided having a primary 50 and a. secondary 51. The primary 50 is connected to any convenient source of electrical energy, the secondary 51 having one side connected to the tank as shown at 52 and the other side connected to the spider 15 shown at'53. A steam coil is provided in the bottom of the tank 11. V

The method of operation is as follows:

The distance between the upper plate 21 and the lower plate '29 may be readily varied by turning the plate 21 on the pipe 20. Since the pipe 20 is threaded and the flange 22 is also threaded, the distance between the two plates 21 and 29 may be varied due to the up and down movement of the plate 21 as it is turned on the pipe 20. A potential being impressed between the points 52 and 53, this potential manifests itself between the edges ofthe members 21, 27 28 and 29 and the inner surface of the tank 11. In practice'I prefer to make the members 27 and 28 of somewhat smaller diameter than the members 21 and 29 so that there will be some concentration of field at the edges of the plates 21 and 29. The cold emulsion is introduced through the pipe 30, this emulsion flowing in a thin film over the upper edge of the lip 31 and downwardly over the inner surface of the tank,

, the steam coil 60. This material in the tank 11 is, of course, partiallyde-emulsified oil which has been heated by the steam coil 60. This sets up convection currents in the tank These convection currents cause the emulsion to flow downwardly close to the inner wall of the tank lland this downwardly flowing oil is replaced with oil rising through the cylinder 26 and flowing outwardlv in all directions in a thin stream through the small orifice formed between the plates 21 and 29. These convection currents are greatly assisted by the cone shaped funnel 27. It should be understood that the convection currents mentioned above naturally continue to the bottom of the tank, the oil then being heated'by the steam coil 60 and rising vertically. The greater portion,

of this oil is naturally caught by the funnel which tends to establish the convection currents and these convection currents when once established become quite strong and tend to draw all of the returning oil upwardly into the funnel 37. The oil is thus directed tangentially in all directions against the inner wall of the tank 11 and the dehydrating action takes place in this moving body of oil. In some kinds of oil the natural convectioncurrents in the oil are suflicient to set up proper circulation. In some kinds of oil, however, it is necessary to provide for an artificial circulation. This is readily obtained by means of a fan 40 which sets upa steady stream of oil flowing upwardly in the center of the tank 11, thefunnel 27 catching that stream and directing it upwardly through the cylinder 26.

I claim as my invention: 7

1 In an electrical dehydrator for emulsions, the combination of a hollow cylindrical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrical inner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to passfreely therein; means for directing the emulsion outwardly from the top of said inner electrode, into the space between saidledtrode; and means for impressing an electrical potential between said innerand outer electrodes.

2. In an electrical dehydrator for emulsions, the combination of a hollow cylindrical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrical inner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to pass freely therein;*means for directing the emulsion outwardly from the top of said inner electrode in'an evenly distributed flat stream into the space between said electrodes, and means for impressing ner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to pass freely therein; a series of disks fixed on the outer surface of said inner electrode; means for directing the emulsion outwardly from the top of said inner electrode into the space between said electrodes and means for impressing an'electrical potential between said inner and outer electrodes.

4. In an electrical dehydrator for emulsions, the combination of a hollow cylindrical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrical inner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to pass freely therein; an annular lower plate having the edge of its opening fixed to the top of said cylindrical inner electrode; an imperforate upper circularplate secured above said lower plate and at a small distance therefrom, and means for impressing an electrical potential between said inner and outer electrodes. I

5. In an electrical dehydrator for emuls1on,.the combination of a hollow cylindrical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrical inner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to pass freely therein; a series of disks fixed on the outer surface of said inner electrode; an annular lower plate havin the edge of its opening fixed to the top 0 said cylindrical inner electrode; an imperforate upper. circular plate secured above said lower ,plate and at a small distance therefrom, and means for impressing an electrical potential. between said inner and said inner electrode, and means for im' ressing an electrical potential between sa1d in-- ner and outer electrodes.

7. In an electrical dehydrator for emulsion, the combination of a hollow cylindrical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrlcal inner sion to pass freely therein; a series of disks fixed on the outer surface of said inner electrodes; mechanical means for forcing emulsion to flow upwardly through said inner drical outer electrode; a hollow cylindrical inner electrode open at the bottom to allow electrode open at the bottom to allow emulemulsion to pass freely therein; an annular ,trode; mechanical means for forcing emullower plate having the edge of its'opening fixed to the top i sion, the'combination of a hollow cylindrical F of said cylindrical inner electrode; an lmperf orate upper circular plate secured above said lower plate and at a small distance therefrom; mechanic/ah means for forcing emulsion to flow upwardly through said inner electrode, and means for impressing an ele'ctrical potential between said inner and outer electrodes.

9. In an electrical dehydrator for emulouter electrode; a hollow cylindricalinner electrode open at the bottom to allow emulsion to pass freely therein; a series of disks fined on the outer surfaceof said inner elecsion to flow upwardly through said inner electrode; an annular lower plate having,

the edge of its opening fixed to the top of said cylindrical inner electrode; an imperforate upper circular plate secured above said lower plate and at a small distance therefrom, and means for impressing an electrical potential between said inner and "outer electrodes. I I

' In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my" hand at anFrancisco; California, this lst'd'ay of March'1921.

WYNN MEREDITH. 

